This week’s free downloadable BBC Introducing Mixtape features tunes from the BBC Introducing Uploader by THE MODERN STRANGERS, BEACH FATIGUE, LUMANES, RIDLEY WOOF, THREE GIRL RHUMBA, ME FOR QUEEN, ROOM1FOURTEEN, JOBY, SQUINANCYWORT, GALLERY CIRCUS, FIRING PEARLS, MIA STANDEN, DEAD DAYS, LONG FOR THE COAST, DAVID KEIGH, JOEL BAILEY, DOM ZILLA and SONOMIC handpicked by Tom Robinson.

The BBC Introducing Mixtape is a 60 minute radio show broadcast on BBC Radio 6 Music from 2-3am every Sunday night/Monday morning. Each programme is downloadable in podcast form at the BBC 6 Music downloads page for the next 30 days. Full tracklists and track start times are published here at Fresh On The Net – together with info about the music provided by the artists.

All tracks are sourced from the BBC Introducing Uploader – some recommended to me by BBC colleagues while the rest are chosen from submissions to our Fresh On The Net inbox. Click here for more info – artists please also see the request at the bottom of this page. These are the listings for the episode broadcast in the early morning of Monday, 10th October at 2am.

THE MODERN STRANGERS – Vanilla [starts 00:17]
https://www.facebook.com/themodernstrangers/
The Moderns strangers are, they tell us, a “Duo from Kent, UK”. Their BBC Introducing profile, Facebook, Soundcloud, Twitter and Instagram pages contain absolutely no other factual information about the band or their music whatever. So now you know…

BEACH FATIGUE – Only You [starts 03:50]
http://beachfatigue.com/
“Previously known as Heavy Petting Zoo – the band who surprised Swn Festival in 2013, released the menacing garage rock single Crash on the Too Pure label and go onto play Green Man, Reading & Leeds. Thankfully they’ve finally changed their name – and have a selftitled debut album – Beach Fatigue – coming out soon. Packed with surf rock guitars, riot grrrl vocals and plenty of weird noises.”

LUMANES – Idol [starts 06:38]
https://www.facebook.com/mohsenkhalidalfaruq
Lumanes describes himself as “20 years old from Glasgow, Scotland. Been a hip-hop artist since the age of 14 and I’ve had the opportunity to support some chart toppers like Sneakbo, Lady Leshurr, Yungen, Sway, Eurogang & many more acts in the underground scene like Lunar C & Mic Righteous. I’ve headlined King Tuts and played all over Scotland. I also do battle rap and battled up and down the UK.”

RIDLEY WOOF – Kidd [starts 09:05]
http://ridleywoof.com/
“Ridley Woof, a multi national trio based in the North East of England, deliver a fiery sermon of spilt milk, melting shipyards and songs of childhood, manhood and fatherhood. Lost in the 20-something wilderness, they are inspired by root blues, 60s rock and hook-a-duck modern electronica.”

THREE GIRL RHUMBA – Pica [starts 12:12]
http://www.threegirlrhumba.com/
“Three Girl Rhumba are an alternative band who recently sold out the Camden Barfly, headlined for BBC Introducing at Rough Trade Nottingham and have been featured in CLASH and When the Gramophone Rings. Their debut single Minnie Driver was released on I’m Not From London Records in December 2015 and was accompanied by a music video starring Humans actor Lucy Carless. The band head into Strongroom Studios (Radiohead, The XX, Adele) late 2016 to start work on their debut album.”

ME FOR QUEEN – Slow Train [starts 15:30]
http://www.meforqueen.com/
“Me for Queen aka Mary Erskine is inspired by people and their stories. Growing up feral in rural Fife/Scotland in a big old house near the sea, she started writing songs when she was 13, around the same time that she started dressing herself. At this time music was her method of making her mark against four older siblings, and getting out of the washing up. Years of classical training together with a Blues guitarist for a father make for an interesting mix of Soul and Folk. Mary says Me For Queen is ‘a sort of sketchpad for whatever’s happening in my head. I just try to write songs that talk to people.’ Mary is from Kingsbarns in Fife but now works in London…. but continues to flap back and forth like a confused swallow.”

ROOM1FOURTEEN – Letting Go [starts 19:40]
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Room1Fourteen/1655170538044383
“Room1Fourteen is a rock band based in Hull, England and Switzerland (they put Switzerland as well as England because they met in Geneva and record their music there). The band was formed in 2015 by English singer-songwriter William Mayos. After years of writing songs, he sought the help of other band members, Rob Green and David Dasenbrook to fulfil his artistic vision.

In Sept 2016 they released their first album, Control. It’s had some great reviews on the underground scene and is being played on the radio in UK and beyond. The music and lyrics flow in a conversational style, which allows the listener to go on a journey into their imagination. Enjoy the ride… ”

JOBY – Sixes And Zeros [starts 22:12]
http://www.jobyband.com/
“Joby, a Cardiff-based band, formed in 2015 after lead singer and guitarist, Jason Staddon, pulled together a group of musicians to develop his songs originally written for acoustic guitar. Each member of the band is classically trained but have differing influences and musical experiences. Joby’s music can be difficult to classify but it is heavily influenced by a mix of jazz harmony, folk-like story telling and indie guitars.”

SQUINANCYWORT – Autumn Dance (entirely Bird Samples) [25:42]
http://squinancywort.tumblr.com/
“My name is Phil Barnett, I am a ‘bedroom producer’ based in Upholland, S Lancashire. Music that is very weird or chaotic is too easy to make in my opinion. As is music that is completely straight. I like things that occupy a space somewhere in the middle… I’m a big fan of off-kilter – I love it when music goes ‘wrong’. By the way: A Squinancywort is a medicinal herb.”

GALLERY CIRCUS – Club House Killer [starts 28:30]
http://www.gallerycircus.co.uk/
“Identical twins Daniel and Graeme Ross, aka Gallery Circus, are set to release their latest riff-infused single Club House Killer on October 14th 2016 via Think Tank? Records. Having played together in various bands all their lives, Daniel and Graeme eventually decided to form Gallery Circus. From Newcastle Upon Tyne, over the past year Gallery Circus have quickly built up a reputation as being one of the UK’s most formidable new live bands and have supported acts such as Hanni El Khatib, King Charles, Little Comets, Kill it Kid and Arcane Roots. This is the twins’ second release produced by Dan Austin (Pixies, Doves, Mallory Knox) and will coincide with their first headline tour this summer. The duo will also be releasing another single and EP later this year via Killing Moon.”

FIRING PEARLS – All Quiet On The Northern Front [starts 31:04]
http://www.firingpearls.com/
“Firing Pearls are a north London band playing a mix of indie-dance music with hints of Blue Nile, Tom Waits and Ennio Morricone. Dom Milne was the founder member of the longstanding Nottingham outfit Seven Little Sisters before heading to London and teaming up with guitarist and song-writing partner Stu McGeorge. Their debut album, Invisible Wire will be released on 28th November 2016, with live dates to follow…”

MIA STANDEN – You, Me, Us [starts 35:10]
https://soundcloud.com/julie-standen
Mia Standen says of herself: “I’m aged 15 and play piano, ukulele and sing both classical and contemporary music. I enjoy writing songs on both instruments as well as classical instrumental compositions. I’m excited to perform and can’t wait to do more of it.”

DEAD DAYS – Try [starts 36:56]
http://www.deaddaysband.com/
“Dead Days are an alternative rock/pop punk trio, comprising of brothers Travis Marc (drums/lead vocals) and Darryl du Plooy (bass guitar/backing vocals), alongside their long-time friend James Mattocks (guitar/backing vocals).

Based in Berkshire, the band formed in early 2016 citing their key musical influences as Green Day, Foo Fighters, Biffy Clyro and Papa Roach.
Differentiating them from their contemporaries is their live set, which sees drummer Travis delivering spirited lead vocals.”

LONG FOR THE COAST – The Pattern Maker [starts 40:00]
https://longforthecoast.wordpress.com/
“Long For The Coast are a Bristol-based acoustic duo who really fancy each other and sing about their friends, skateboarding, the state of the world and ice-cream vanz. Inspired by artists such as Against Me, Tom Waits, The Gaslight Anthem and Sufjan Stevens, they hope that the sincerity of their lyrics might help to promote a culture of openness and social acceptance.”

DAVID KEIGH – Young (feat SAMI MAE) [starts 43:36]
http://www.starnow.co.uk/davidkeigh
“David Keigh is a recording artist who’s performed on stage with Chip, Tinchy Stryder, Skepta, Lady Leshurr and more. He was acclaimed ‘The best Kept R&B secret’ by SBTV and his single Break Through featuring American rapper Rell Riley has accumulated over 18,000 views on VEVO/YouTube.”

JOEL BAILEY – Fears [starts 46:29]
http://www.joelbaileymusic.com/
“Joel Bailey is London based singer-songwriter from Northamptonshire. Honing his live act Joel has recently played several festivals, 2 showcases at Rough Trade East and performed at both the opening night of The Emerging Proms and alongside La Clique at The Roundhouse. Joel’s music has been featured on BBC London TV & Radio, Amazing Tunes radio and in the Evening Standard. In 2016 Joel’s track Wet Cement was chosen by furniture store Heal’s as the soundtrack to their first ever TV ad”

DOM ZILLA – Holding [starts 49:13]
http://www.domzillamusic.com/
“After producing and writing with artists such as Lulu James (including the underground Black Butter banger Be Safe), Karen Harding, Aiden Grimshaw and Raekwon (Wu-Tang Clan), Dom Zilla felt it was time to branch out on his own and start his own project. With his love of left field electronica, Hip-Hop, Folk and 80s indie, Dom decided that he would fuse these genres to create a sound that was his own. Whether swaying between genres in tracks or fusing them, Dom’s sound always has the feeling of being a growing, evolving piece of music. He frequently employs the method of featuring jolts in direction, that may seem unexpected, but always welcomed and never out of place.”

SONOMIC – Rise [starts 53:35]
https://soundcloud.com/sonomic
“Leeds based producer and DJ Sonomic has had a love of electronic dance music since he first heard the prodigy being blasted from his best friend’s brother’s stereo in the ’90s. Since then he has followed the scene closely and 4 years ago decided to start producing music himself after acquiring his first copy of FL studio. He now focuses on the more laid back side of deep house throwing in the occasional club banger for good measure. After coming across so many talented music producers who had not been discovered, he was inspired to start his own record label, Architects of Paradise, with the aim of spreading summery, uplifting electronic music to the world at large.”

ARTISTS…
In the music industry, as in life, it’s best to treat unsolicited emails asking for money with extreme caution. You may hear from a PR company who have “worked with some of the most original and exciting artists in the UK” who “found you online and after having a listen would be interested in working with you”. Please be aware you haven’t been sent this because you are special – it’s a form email, regularly received by artists who appear on this blog – and it’s from a company who are trying to sell you their services.

There are literally hundreds of plugging and PR companies in the UK – many of whom have equally impressive lists of clients and who would be glad to have your business. You don’t neccessarily have to choose the first company that happens to get in touch with you. See our advice on Sending CDs to Radio and The Pros And Cons Of Pluggers – it’s possible you might not even need professional radio promotion at this point.

And if you do decide to pay for a PR company, don’t take their word for how good they are – get some personal recommendations from their clients. Before parting with your hard-earned cash why not email a few of the indie labels who regularly get their own artists on the radio – and ask which PR companies they use.

… ALSO
If we’ve featured you on the BBC Introducing Mixtape recently, please do us a favour and wait 12 weeks before sending us another track. That will give us space to help a few other deserving artists in the meantime. But I’d love to hear another great new tune from you in three months’ time.

Tom Robinson